CCCS Internal Care Forward Colorado
Together, we are revitalizing Colorado’s healthcare workforce with zero-cost, short-term training programs at community and technical colleges.
In a year or less, trainees can learn skills to become a certified nursing assistant, emergency services professional, and many more professions that are desperately needed in Colorado’s healthcare facilities.
Why Healthcare?
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado faced deep shortages in entry-level health care positions. By 2023, phlebotomists and pharmacy technicians will grow by 38% and 24%, and general healthcare support jobs are projected to jump by 16%, according to data from the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report.
Care Forward Colorado will help the state rebuild its depleted healthcare workforce while providing zero-cost pathways that lead to living-wage, high-growth careers.
How does it work?
Starting in Fall 2022, students who enroll in one of the following healthcare certificate programs will have tuition, fees, and course materials covered as Care Forward Colorado funding allows.
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Pharmacy Technician
- Medical Assistant
- Dental Assistant
- Nurse Refresher
- Integrative Health Practitioner & Massage Therapy
- Sterile Processing
- Paramedic Certificate
- Echocardiography Certificate
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Medical Office Certificate
- Practical Nursing
Participating Colleges & Programs
Training programs and financial aid processes vary by College. Click the checkmarks below to learn more about these featured programs at each College website.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Emergency Medical Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | Pharmacy Technician | Medical Assistant | Dental Assistant | Nurse Refresher | Integrative Health Practitioner & Massage Therapy | Sterile Processing | Paramedic Certificate | Echocardiography Certificate | Medical Billing & Coding | Medical Office Certificate | Practical Nursing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aims Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Arapahoe Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||
| Colorado Mountain College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| CMU Tech | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Community College of Aurora | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| Community College of Denver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||
| Emily Griffith Technical College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| Front Range Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||
| Lamar Community College | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Morgan Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| Northeastern Junior College | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Otero College | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
| Pickens Technical College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Pueblo Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Red Rocks Community College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| Technical College of the Rockies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| Trinidad State College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Emergency Medical Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | Pharmacy Technician | Medical Assistant | Dental Assistant | Nurse Refresher | Integrative Health Practitioner & Massage Therapy | Sterile Processing | Paramedic Certificate | Echocardiography Certificate | Medical Billing & Coding | Medical Office Certificate | Practical Nursing |
Explore an Employer Partnership
The Colorado Community College System is committed to continuously engaging in partnerships with business and industry to promote student success and serve the workforce needs of our communities. If you have a partnership opportunity you would like to explore or have a question in regard to Care Forward Colorado, click the button below to send us a message.
More About Care Forward Colorado
Care Forward Colorado is made possible by Senate Bill 22-226, which dedicates $26 million in state recovery dollars to train healthcare workers across Colorado. The bill was signed by Gov. Polis in May and sponsored by Senators Sonya Jacquez Lewis and Bob Rankin and Representative Kyle Mullica.